Life
How 鈥� and why 鈥� we chose the best 21 ideas of the 21st century
Comment
This week's magazine
24 January 2026
Issue 3579
On the cover
Editor's picks
Health
Realising the importance of our microbiome: Best ideas of the century
Features
Physics
Embracing quantum spookiness: Best ideas of the century
Features
Technology
Crowdsourcing Wikipedia鈥檚 encyclopedia: Best ideas of the century
Features
Environment
The totemic 1.5掳C climate target: Best ideas of the century
Features
Health
We can block the spread of HIV: Best ideas of the century
Features
Health
We can rewrite our genetic code: Best ideas of the century
Features
Health
The one diet that鈥檚 good for everything: Best ideas of the century
Features
Technology
Smartphones (yes, really): Best ideas of the century
Features
Technology
The electrification of everything: Best ideas of the century
Features
Space
Our solar system is extremely weird: Best ideas of the century
Features
Health
The hidden power of epigenetics: Best ideas of the century
Features
Humans
Revealing the epic story of ancient humans: Best ideas of the century
Features
Environment
How fear drastically shapes ecosystems: Best ideas of the century
Features
Technology
End-to-end encryption: Best ideas of the century
Features
Technology
The one innovation that supercharged AI: Best ideas of the century
Features
Mind
There鈥檚 no such thing as a normal brain: Best ideas of the century
Features
Chemistry
A revolution in how we do chemistry: Best ideas of the century
Features
Space
Filming the universe鈥檚 biggest dramas: Best ideas of the century
Features
Environment
Pinning extreme weather on climate change: Best ideas of the century
Features
Environment
The invention of net zero: Best ideas of the century
Features
Mind
The immense interconnectivity of the brain: Best ideas of the century
Features
Comment
The 5 worst ideas of the 21st century 鈥� and how they went wrong
Features
Table of contents
快猫短视频
Life
Bornean orangutan enjoys being back in the wild
Badul is one of three Bornean orangutans to have been released into Bukit Baka Bukit Raya park in Indonesia following a stay at a rehabilitation centre
News
Environment
World is entering an era of ‘water bankruptcy’
News
Environment
Sinking river deltas put millions at risk of flooding
News
Life
T. rex took 40 years to become fully grown
News
Life
Giving astronauts tardigrade toughness will be harder than we hoped
News
Health
Body fat supports your health in surprisingly complex ways
News
Technology
A leading use for quantum computers might not need them after all
News
Environment
Sooner-than-expected climate impacts could cost the world trillions
News
Space
Star appears to have vanished in a failed supernova
News
Space
Distant ‘little red dot’ galaxies may contain baby black holes
News
Space
Earliest ever supernova sheds light on the first stars
News
Life
Woolly rhino genome recovered from meat in frozen wolf pup鈥檚 stomach
News
Health
Meat may play an unexpected role in helping people reach 100
News
Health
These small lifestyle tweaks can add a year to your life
News
Mathematics
Amateur mathematicians solve long-standing maths problems with AI
News
Life
Greenland sharks survive for centuries with diseased hearts
News
Humans
Pompeii鈥檚 public baths were unhygienic until the Romans took over
News
Life
Stunning images reveal the rich biodiversity of remotest Tanzania
News
Features
Health
Realising the importance of our microbiome: Best ideas of the century
Humans have been inadvertently using microbes to influence our health for thousands of years. But only recently has the microbiome rocketed to the forefront of healthcare
Features
Chemistry
A revolution in how we do chemistry: Best ideas of the century
Features
Technology
Smartphones (yes, really): Best ideas of the century
Features
Space
Filming the universe鈥檚 biggest dramas: Best ideas of the century
Features
Mind
There鈥檚 no such thing as a normal brain: Best ideas of the century
Features
Environment
The invention of net zero: Best ideas of the century
Features
Physics
Embracing quantum spookiness: Best ideas of the century
Features
Health
The hidden power of epigenetics: Best ideas of the century
Features
Humans
Revealing the epic story of ancient humans: Best ideas of the century
Features
Technology
The electrification of everything: Best ideas of the century
Features
Environment
Pinning extreme weather on climate change: Best ideas of the century
Features
Mind
The immense interconnectivity of the brain: Best ideas of the century
Features
Health
The one diet that鈥檚 good for everything: Best ideas of the century
Features
Health
We can rewrite our genetic code: Best ideas of the century
Features
Technology
Crowdsourcing Wikipedia鈥檚 encyclopedia: Best ideas of the century
Features
Environment
How fear drastically shapes ecosystems: Best ideas of the century
Features
Environment
The totemic 1.5掳C climate target: Best ideas of the century
Features
Technology
End-to-end encryption: Best ideas of the century
Features
Space
Our solar system is extremely weird: Best ideas of the century
Features
Health
We can block the spread of HIV: Best ideas of the century
Features
Technology
The one innovation that supercharged AI: Best ideas of the century
Features
Comment
The 5 worst ideas of the 21st century 鈥� and how they went wrong
Features
Culture
Life
A fascinating book reveals the ancient story of horses and humans
Ludovic Orlando's Horses is an enthralling account by one of the main players, detailing how genetics has rewritten what we know about the intertwined story of horses and humans, now spanning over 4000 years
Culture
Society
Can we battle the downsides of a rule-based world, asks a new book
Culture
Space
快猫短视频 recommends Avatar: Fire and Ash 鈥� especially the whale
Culture
Space
Peter F. Hamilton’s latest is an epic slice of sci-fi 鈥� with one flaw
Culture
More
Society
We were wrong about being able to ‘nudge’ people to improve the world
We thought we could address big social problems by steering individual behaviour. But "nudging" people doesn't work, say behavioural scientists Nick Chater and George Loewenstein
Comment
Technology
The internet feels super lonely right now. Here’s why
Comment
Space
How to spot the lunar X and V
Regulars
Tom Gauld: Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Professor Horatio…
Regulars
Twisteddoodles: If AI had the skills (and the emotions) of an artist
Regulars
Regulars
Physics
Let’s nitpick about the physics of Stranger Things, not its ending
Feedback has seen all the fuss about the finale of Stranger Things, but would like to point out that if we're going to dissect the plot, we have bigger things to worry about
This Week鈥檚 Letters
Letters
What is it about human physiology that leads us to use pillows?
Last Word
Why do jewellery chains in a box become so tightly knotted together?
Last Word
Why do we scream in fear? part 2
Last Word
This week鈥檚 new questions
Last Word
